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The world’s hopes of avoiding catastrophic climate change were hanging in the balance tonight, as the deadline for a global deal passed without agreement and Boris Johnson warned: “We risk blowing it.”The two-week United Nations Cop26 summit in Glasgow, which had been due to conclude at 6pm on Friday, was extended as negotiators from 197 countries talked into the night in the hope of securing agreement, with an announcement now expected on Saturday afternoon.The prime minister urged his counterparts in countries around the world to show “conviction and courage” by giving their negotiating teams leeway to make the compromises needed to keep the world on track for limiting global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.He made it clear that there was no prospect of improving on a draft text tabled early on Friday, which was criticised by environmental campaigners for being too weak on issues like fossil fuel energy and financial assistance for poorer countries and vulnerable low-lying nations.However there was widespread recognition of progress made in the proposed Glasgow deal, including action on methane, increased clarity on plans to step up emission reduction and an expression of “deep regret” from the rich world on missing targets for financial assistance to the most vulnerable.Cop26 president Alok Sharma said revised documents for the agreements would be issued early on Saturday and would then be debated, with the summit expected to wrap up in the afternoon.Boris Johnson believes “an ambitious outcome is in sight” at Cop26, according to a readout of his call with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau on Friday evening.A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “They discussed progress in the ongoing Cop26 negotiations in Glasgow and agreed that an ambitious outcome is in sight.”The leaders committed to work together to help resolve outstanding issues in the talks and reach an agreement at Cop26 that works for all countries.”As horse-trading entered its final stages, major carbon producers and emitters like Saudi Arabia and China were resisting the inclusion of an explicit pledge on ending fossil fuel dependency, which would be the first of its kind in a UN climate deal.The provision was watered down in Friday’s draft, so that an earlier call to phase out coal and end fossil fuel subsidies became a demand to accelerate “the phase-out of unabated coal power and of inefficient subsidies for fossil fuels”.Activists warned that this would allow polluting countries to carry on pouring money into carbon energy sources, giving themselves cover by promising carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology which has so far proved able to absorb only a fraction of one per cent of emissions.The Global Witness campaign said the “false promise” of CCS “should not be used as an excuse to keep the coal industry alive”. And US climate envoy John Kerry said continued subsidies for fossil fuel energy production were “the definition of insanity”.While the world struggled to deliver the $100bn promised in 2009 to help poorer countries cut emissions and adapt to the extreme weather caused by warmer temperatures, some $2.5 trillion has gone into subsidies for fossil fuels over the last five or six years, said Mr Kerry.“We’re allowing to feed the very problem we’re here to try to cure,” he told the conference. “It doesn’t make sense.”But UK officials were fearful that even this softened wording on fossil fuels may not survive into the final text, as polluting countries seek to avoid direction on how they should achieve the emission reductions they have promised.Beijing and Riyadh were also resisting new requirements on transparency around the scale of emissions and the measures being taken to rein them in.And there were continued differences over the implementation of the final element of the 2015 Paris Accord still to be formally signed off – the so-called Article 6 mechanism for carbon trading, which has the potential to blow up a deal in Glasgow.China indicated it was willing to support an agreement, but said the latest draft lacked “specific and detailed arrangements” on how the rich world will deliver funding for adaptation and mitigation measures.The EU and US were resisting the creation of a new “Glasgow funding facility” to allow African countries and island states to access swift sources of cash to deal with loss and damage from climate-driven disasters like hurricanes.Analysts voiced concern that a failure to shift on finance could scupper an agreement altogether, with the G77 coalition of developing countries potentially resorting to filibustering to talk the summit out over the weekend.The UK presidency was holding out hope for a formal request in the final agreement for countries to come back next year at the Cop27 conference in Egypt with enhanced pledges on carbon emissions. This would mark a significant step up in the so-called “ratchet” agreed at Paris, which required new pledges only every five years, and reflects growing concern that action is not coming fast enough in what has been called “the crucial decade” to 2030.Speaking from London as negotiations entered their vital final stage, Mr Johnson said: “What everybody needs to do now is recognise that we really are in the final furlong, and it’s in the final furlong where the horses change places.“What needs to happen now is that people need to understand that the deal that’s on the table – the so-called cover decision – that is the text.“We either find a way of agreeing it or I’m afraid we risk blowing it. That’s the reality.”Mr Johnson said he had been telling fellow leaders in phone calls: “This is the moment – tell your negotiating team how important this is. Tell them to have the conviction and the courage to come together and agree that cover decision because people are watching this around the world. It’s a moment of massive choice for the world.”He acknowledged that it had never been possible to guarantee a maximum of 1.5C warming at Glasgow, but insisted that the deal on the table provided a roadmap to “enable us to go forward and start to remove the threat of anthropogenic climate change”.Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband said the world wold have to “resit its climate exam” next year in Egypt.The likely deal in Glasgow “will represent modest progress, but on climate modest progress isn’t enough”, he said.“We know what the aim was, which was to halve global emissions this decade,” said Mr Miliband. “We weren’t going to get all the way there, but we’ve made, I’m afraid, pretty glacial progress.”Speaking on behalf of the EU, European Commission vice president Frans Timmerman said he feared his one-year-old grandson will have to “fight other human beings for water and food” if the world fails to properly tackle the climate emergency.“It’s quite a thought to understand that – if we succeed – he’ll be living in a world that’s liveable, he’ll be living in an economy that is clean with everything at peace with his environment,” Mr Timmermans told delegates.“If we fail – and I mean fail now, in the next couple of years – he will fight with other human beings for water and food.“That’s the stark reality we face.“So, 1.5C is about avoiding a future for our children and grandchildren that is unliveable.” More

Negotiators at the climate change summit in Glasgow face a “monumental challenge” to deliver a credible deal in the few days left to them, Cop26 president Alok Sharma has warned.Officials are still hopeful that an agreed text will be produced by the scheduled end of the summit on Friday afternoon, though many delegates think that the summit will spill over into the weekend as wrangling intensifies on crucial details.There are fears that the crucial reference in Wednesday’s draft agreement  – unprecedented in a UN climate document – to phasing out coal and ending subsidies for fossil fuels is unlikely to survive horse-trading as the deadline approaches.UN secretary general Antonio Guterres today said that the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C is “on life support”, as the talks have come nowhere near meeting the United Nations priority of securing pledges to cut carbon emissions by half by 2030.In a press conference in Glasgow, Mr Sharma rejected suggestions that the gathering had failed, insisting that the aim of the UK presidency had always been the less ambitious target of being able to say credibly that “we have kept 1.5C within reach”.But he acknowledged that he was still not able to make that claim.“Whilst we have made progress, we are not there yet on the most crucial issues,” he said.“There is still a lot more work to be done and Cop26 is scheduled to close at the end of tomorrow.“Time is running out.”Mr Sharma urged all countries to “strain every sinew to achieve a timely outcome that we can all be proud of”, warning: “We still have a monumental challenge ahead of us.”The last phase of the talks is focusing on finding “ways forward” on finance and carbon markets, he said, adding: “Negotiations on finance really need to accelerate and they need to accelerate now.“Having engaged extensively with parties of the past year and at Cop, I know that everyone understands what is at stake for the future of our planet here in Glasgow.“We still have a monumental challenge ahead of us, but collectively we have no choice but to rise to that challenge and strain every sinew to achieve a timely outcome that we can all be proud of.“Because ultimately, this outcome, whatever it is, will belong to all of us.” More

The government is pledging new funding totalling £290 million, largely to help countries across Asia and the Pacific better prepare for extreme weather and other potential changes.Diplomats and negotiators are hoping to raise further funding pledges from other countries to add to the billions already raised from states including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the US.Ministers from various countries are to focus on the issue on Monday with a dedicated “climate adaptation loss and damage day”.Governments including Bangladesh, the Maldives and the Netherlands – which are expected to be among those most severely impacted by climate change as sea levels rise – are expected to attend the meeting. Anne-Marie Trevelyan, UK International champion on adaptation and resilience for the COP26 presidency, said: “We must act now to stop climate change from pushing more people into poverty. We know that climate impacts disproportionately affect those already most vulnerable.“We are aiming for significant change that will ultimately contribute to sustainable development and a climate-resilient future for all, with no one left behind.” More

Boris Johnson has urged world leaders to make “bold compromises and ambitious commitments” as the Cop26 climate crisis summit enters its final week.In an intervention marking the half-way point of the meeting, the prime minister warned that his colleagues have “one week left to deliver for the world”.A week ago around 120 leaders and theirs negotiators, officials and ministers gathered in Glasgow with the stated aim of limiting global warming to 1.5C.Now teams from 195 countries plus the European Union will work to reach collective agreement on more than 200 pages of text setting out their climate pledges.Issues which need to be resolved are largely those left open by the 2015 Paris agreement. They include how to track countries’ compliance with their climate commitments, and how to make sure nations are not disadvantaged by pledging to reduce emissions faster.During the UK’s Cop presidency, leaders have already made commitments which mean that 90 per cent of the world economy is now committed to net zero by the middle of the century.Significant pledges have also been made to end deforestation by countries representing 88 per cent of the world’s forests, while over 100 states have also agreed to cut their methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 – a significant win. More than 20 states have also committed for the first time to phase out coal power. “There is one week left for Cop26 to deliver for the world, and we must all pull together and drive for the line,” Mr Johnson said as the summit enters its second week.“We have seen nations bring ambition and action to help limit rising temperatures, with new pledges to cut carbon and methane emissions, end deforestation, phase out coal and provide more finance to countries most vulnerable to climate change.“But we cannot underestimate the task at hand to keep 1.5C alive. Countries must come back to the table this week ready to make the bold compromises and ambitious commitments needed.” More

One in 15 Conservative MPs still does not believe that climate change is real, exclusive polling for The Independent shows.A survey of more than 100 MPs from across parties found scepticism about global warming remains relatively strong among Tory politicians.Five per cent of Conservatives surveyed said the scientific phenomenon of the climate crisis – currently mobilising world leaders at the Cop26 summit in Glasgow – is “a myth”.And 9 per cent of Tory MPs said they did not accept that there is a scientific consensus on human activity causing climate change, according to the poll by Savanta ComRes, while no Labour MP said the same.It also found that one-third of Tory MPs (37 per cent) do not believe that the increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events come from climate change – despite agreement among scientists that the impacts can already be seen.Friends of the Earth said the poll showed that Boris Johnson had “failed to convince members of his own party” of the scientific consensus on the climate crisis, despite the “glossy announcements” made at Cop26.“This calls into question his ability to act in line with the scale of the climate disaster on our doorsteps,” said Connor Schwartz, climate lead at the pressure group. “Clearly the prime minister has work to do behind the scenes.”Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay told The Independent it was “extremely worrying to see such climate denialism” in the Tory party.He added: “It is no wonder that Boris Johnson is nowhere near delivering the sort of transformational change required, if so many of his own MPs don’t even believe the science.”Dr Doug Parr, chief scientist for Greenpeace UK, said the poll suggested “tiny but stubborn pockets of climate denial have managed to persist in the Conservative party”, and added: “This minority of MPs is out of step with the overwhelming scientific consensus, with public concerns, and with their own party’s leadership.”There was less scepticism about the climate emergency facing the planet from Labour and other opposition parties.A stark divide between the two main parties emerged on the question of eating less meat as a means of cutting carbon emissions, due to the fact that the meat industry contributes a large amount to global greenhouse gases. Almost two-thirds of Tory MPs (66 per cent) do not accept adopting a more plant-based diet as a means of tackling climate change. But only 9 per cent of Labour MPs were sceptical about the impact of a plant-based diet, with 91 per cent saying it could make a positive difference.While Cop26 has seen new commitments to reverse deforestation and end nations’ dependence on coal, campaigners have been underwhelmed by the pledges made so far, many of which have been set decades away or are voluntary.The survey of MPs also found pessimism about the chances of the summit leading to the changes needed to keep global warming in check.The poll found that half (51 per cent) of MPs – rising to 69 per cent of those in Labour – think leaders will fail to meet the goal of keeping global warming below the 2C limit set by the Paris Agreement.Almost as many (42 per cent, again rising to 69 per cent of Labour MPs) think it is unlikely that the UK government will hit its net zero carbon emissions target by 2050.While 94 per cent of Labour MPs said Mr Johnson’s government should prioritise the cutting of emissions as part of the Covid recovery, only 55 per cent of Tory MPs think a “green recovery” should be a priority. More

Boris Johnson has been accused of “staggering hypocrisy” after he took a private jet back from the Cop26 climate summit to attend a private members’ club dinner in London. The Tuesday night dinner at The Garrick Club in the West End was for a reunion of Daily Telegraph journalists. The PM, a former Telegraph columnist, was pictured leaving the club at around 10pm, escorted to the door by Lord Charles Moore, his former editor at the paper.Lord Moore, has describe the climate crisis as “speculation”, is also a close personal friend of Conservative MP Owen Paterson, who was recently found to have misused his position as an MP to lobby for two companies he worked for. Mr Paterson avoided suspension for his actions after the government ordered its MPs on Wednesday to back a review of standards investigations. Mr Johnson had already faced criticism for jetting 400 miles from Glasgow to London on Tuesday after warning the world at the Cop26 summit that more action was needed to tackle climate change. Downing Street previously said “time constraints” meant the PM could not make the four-and-half journey by train.The Daily Mirror reported Mr Johnson left Cop26 conference in Glasgow at 6.20pm and arrived at London Stansted at 7.16pm before heading to the dinner at The Garrick Club.MP Anneliese Dodds, Labour Party chair, said: “This is staggering hypocrisy from the prime minister. “After warning world leaders it’s one minute to midnight to prevent climate catastrophe, Boris Johnson clocked off from Cop26, jumped in his private jet and flew down to London for dinner at a gentleman’s club with a self-confessed climate change sceptic. “It seems that when it comes to taking action to tackle the climate crisis, there’s one rule for the Conservatives and another rule for the rest of the world.”Lord Moore wrote in the Daily Telegraph last week that “no emergency has been proved” by climate scientists. “If you want an example of a true emergency, think of Covid in March last year. A climate emergency, on the other hand, is a speculation,” he said.Mr Johnson’s spokesperson said: “It is important that the prime minister is able to move around the country and we have obviously faced significant time restraints.”A No 10 spokesperson added: “All travel decisions are made with consideration for security and time restraints.“The prime minister travelled on one of the most carbon efficient planes of its size in the world, using the most sustainable aviation fuel possible. “The UK will be offsetting all carbon emissions associated with running Cop26 including travel.” More

Boris Johnson has claimed there are “opportunities” for the UK from melting ice caps – as he hosts the Cop26 international summit on climate change.The prime minister told MPs on Wednesday afternoon, “the retreat of the ice towards the North Pole”, could open up new sea routes that would benefit Scottish ports.Environmentalists said Cop26 was the “worst possible time” to talk about a supposed tiny “silver lining” from the climate crisis which is expected to wreak havoc with extreme weather.Mr Johnson made the comments during his statement to parliament about progress in the summit, at which he is trying to convince leaders to commit to stricter climate targets to avert disaster.After a Tory MP suggested China might benefit from new sea routes, Mr Johnson said: “My right honourable friend is completely right to point out the consequences for the world of the retreat of the ice towards the North Pole. “I’m afraid it will offer opportunities not just for China but actually also for ourselves. Scapa Flow and other parts of Scotland will become potentially very important for sea traffic of a clean, green variety.”Mr Johnson’s comment follows a similar statement this year from Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, who hailed, “the consequences of possible climate change”, for potentially opening up a northern shipping route.Responding to Mr Johnson’s comments, a spokesperson for Greenpeace UK said: “The Prime Minister’s compulsion for going off script seems to be getting the better of him at the worst possible time.“It’s unclear who Johnson is trying to reassure with this tatty, little scrap of silver lining but he sounds like a doctor telling you what amazingly good value undertakers are these days.”Scientists believe the Arctic could be free from summer ice as soon as 2040. The region is warming twice as fast as anywhere else on earth and sea ice is declining by more than 10 per cent every year.Mr Johnson said on Tuesday at Cop26 that, “if we don’t fix our climate, it will be an economic catastrophe as well”. More

Cabinet minister Alok Sharma is under fire after claiming bankers and City traders are as committed to fighting the climate emergency as the activist Swampy.The famous protester made his name in the 1990s, getting arrested as he fought to stop new road schemes – while financiers have signed up to Rishi Sunak’s Cop26 project to achieve net zero carbon emissions.That initiative is already being criticised for lacking any legal targets and after a Treasury minister admitted investments in coal power will still be permitted.But Mr Sharma, president of the Cop26 summit, said: “When I started my career in finance in the 1990 in the City, there was a guy called Swampy – some of you may recall him?“He spent his time occupying trees and tunnels and he was the main face of climate action in the United Kingdom.“But today the Swampys of the world are all around us, in boardrooms, in government departments, in multilateral development banks and trading floors all around the world – you, my friends, are the new Swampys, so be proud.”The comments were attacked by Dr Larch Maxey, a fellow campaigner of Swampy – real name Dan Hooper – who accused Mr Sharma of “appropriation”.“It is attempting to take resistance, to take the truth and commercialise it and commodify it for the corporate agenda,” Dr Maxey said.“If only what he was saying was true. If only we were all Swampys – then we wouldn’t be in the greatest threat humanity has ever faced.”He criticised the government for sending out the message of “just trust us, the experts, the bankers, the politicians, and your future is safe”.“Well, it’s not. The future is in danger because of their actions over the last 30 years and because they are carrying on,” Dr Maxey added.The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) scheme will see all listed companies in Britain forced to produce their own binding plans to reduce carbon emissions or face fines.Mr Sunak said 40 per cent of global assets will be aligned to the 1.5C limit for global warming, adding: “Six years ago Paris set the ambition. Today in Glasgow we’re providing the investment we need to deliver that ambition.”But Lucie Pinson, executive director of the Reclaim Finance, said: “Not a single rule to prevent even one dollar from being invested in the expansion of the fossil fuel sector.”In Glasgow, Mr Sharma defended his Swampy comparison, saying: ‘“The point I was making is that there is a big momentum from the private sector in pursuing green growth and that is something we should all welcome.” More